Monday, December 30, 2013

Like the yoga mystic nerd that I am, my morning Goddess-food
breakfast became an inspired metaphor for it all. After my kalecucumbapplegingerlemoncilantro green juice in the new juicer, I
sliced open a pomegranate.

Two ruby red Sacred Flowers stared at
me. Another moment of recognition, each ruby leaf the center of the
vesica piscis, (‘fish bladder’) which is the mathematically sacred
geometrical basis of all life. From the One become Two, the Vesica
Piscis, the cells split in krama shakti (power of sequencial order) and
become the Sacred Flower of Life, and ultimately a human being. 2014 is
the year the seeds sown of the past will ground and grow.

It
looks delicious. As I peeled apart the thin matrix holding the ripe red
seeds together, I’m reminded of every moment embedded in each other
moment that is happening now. Each moment of the last year, the last
decade, the last 50 years, a individual yet never separate seed imbued
with flavor, color and potential to create more thriving trees, flowers,
fruits and more seeds. It is exponential potential and possibility. All
of the moments strung together held in the matrix of the everyday
worldly moments, every bit as holy and necessary for the succulence of
the fruit to grow into ripeness.

There is a certain amount of
self-effort and reflection necessary to extract the blessing of the
alluring seeds. It is kind of messy and some of the blood red juice
gushes out so I have to be mindful gently disengaging the sweet fruit
from the slightly bitter matrix. Not so easy, until I figure out the
pattern and get into that flow, and still some of the dull papery
membrane gets stuck to the red treasure. It’s the fleshy stuff that we
have to deal with, the obligatory duties or karmas that aren’t so juicy,
sometimes boring, sometimes bitter, yet necessary for the nectar. It’s
the parts of life that when it’s served it’s purpose, I can just bless
it, and let it go. I don’t have to chew and consume that too. So I
carefully separate the chaff from the grain.

Every moment is part
of the whole; the juicy fruit, seeds, matrix all held together in the
microcosm in the skin of potential. Our spiritual and yogic practices
give us the tools to learn to gently disentangle the necessary mundane
matrix from the sweet succulence of the colorful fruits. The invitation
is to recognize it all as sacred. Gratefully let go of the superfluous,
and relish the succulence of what you love, the sweetness, beauty and
enthusiasm of delight. Save some seeds, nourish them and grow them into
your own sweet delicious gifts to the world.

180* degrees of picture windows frame my view overlooking the
ice clad Hudson River on this shades of steel blue and gray morning, I
have been contemplating the last year and the coming year. I love the
fact that no matter how the river and day is waking, it is beautiful.
It’s spectacular when it’s sunny and warm, gorgeously contemplative on
days like this, Nancy Drew mysterious when its misty, and exciting when
there is an Atlantic hurricane. The River’s beauty isn’t dependent on
the conditions, it just Is Beauty.

I feel so grateful for all the Love in my life, and I feel grateful I
Love my life and get to share what I love! My kids, grandkids, family,
all the beautiful friends and students I’ve had the honor to sit with
and continue to teach Anusara yoga this last year. You have all been my
teachers too. I feel grateful for all my friends who are supporting and
managing the vision of ASHY, those who have hosted me, trusted me and my
friends who see Me. All of you have held me in my glory and in my gory!
I am grateful for your kindness, love and ferocity when I need it.
Thank you

I commit to serving the Maha Shakti, Universal Flow, Energy, Supreme
Consciousness, Nature, God/dess, whatever ‘label’ you put on that
underlying Presence of Love. The next year is an invitation to anchor
in all sweetness of the last few years of challenges as we’ve been
transitioning from an era of love of power to the Power of Love. All the
seeds that have been planted in our hearts must be ignited by our love
to anchor and create expression in the world. It is time to root love
and share the Power of Love in the world. I commit to holding,
anchoring, igniting and sharing the frequency of Love, serving Love.

Looking over some of last year’s images, mostly the ones other people
have taken of me teaching or playing, I find two that totally touch me
in a way that no others do. They aren’t images of me being holy, or
rocking out a killer handstand or poses. My best handstands are seen
only by the Unseen anyway.
The photos I chose represent the feminine in my family lineage.

One is of my mother, Bette Wolfe and me. She taught me so much about who I am as daughter,
mother, wife and wise woman, as well as the ways I heal my own feminine
energy and make other choices as an empowered woman in any role.
Grateful to her for everything, this image represents all the love and
fierce Grace that healing of the Divine Feminine holds for myself, my
sisters, the mothers, grandmothers, the healing in all our brothers,
sons, fathers, husbands and grandfathers.

The other one is of one of my grand daughters, Lilly, and me. I dedicate
this next year, and the rest of my life to serving the Power of Light
and Love in her eyes, the same Light shining from all eyes, this is what
I am committed to serving, Love. Happy New Year, New Moon blessings,
the year of the Green Horse, the year to Anchor the seeds and grow the
Power of your Love. Blessings to you for 2014! Life is Pomegranate. Read that blog..It's the New Year!

About Benita (BJ)

Internationally renown Certified Anusara® Yoga Teacher, Mom of 3 young men, Grandma of 4.
Founder of Heart Core® Yoga, Handstands Anonymous™ and a co-founder of the Anusara® School of Hatha Yoga. Hypnobirthing® practitioner, Reiki Master, and practitioner of other healing, nature based modalities.
Student of all things Grace, Love and Life.